Kampala — THE Directorate of Industrial Training in Lugogo is to take over supervision of the vocational, technical and agricultural final exams, the Ministry of Education has said. This task was formerly done by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB).

The commissioner in charge of Business, Technical and Vocational Education (BTVET), Eng. Henry Francis Okinyal, said this while presiding over the opening of the dining hall and computer laboratory and awarding certificates to 40 students at Ssese Farm School in Kalangala town recently. The education ministry funded the construction of the sh104m dining hall, while Bujumba MP Fred Badda provided 15 computers.

Okinyal said the move was meant to improve the quality of skills provided in vocational, technical and agricultural institutions. He said the decision was outlined in the BTVET bill passed by Parliament in August and that the implementation would be done in phases.

"We cannot do it at once. UNEB will continue examining some of the final students as the Directorate of Industrial Training examines another group until the whole system can be taken up by the latter," he said.

Okinyal said in the new bill, colleges will have specific awards different from those of primary and secondary schools as well as technical institutes. He said both the formal and non formal institutions will be recognised for awards by the Directorate of Industrial Training under the BTVET bill.

"There are a number of formal institutions which need to be recognised. Katwe, for example, is a hub for production of metallic doors and windows. Those people deserve recognition because they only lack the theory but have a lot of knowledge," he said.

He expressed concern over the increasing number of universities in the country which does not match the existing technical, teachers' colleges and vocational institutions. As a result, he said, the country produces more graduates than middle level workers.

"We have got to a point where two doctors work with one nursing aide yet a doctor needs to work with more than two health assistants. In our situation, we need more middle level workers than graduates," he explained.